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Abstract:

A method and system for processing payment transaction at a computing
device is provided. The method includes receiving a payment request at
the computing device from a purchaser terminal, the payment request
including purchaser information, determining whether payment information
associated with the purchaser information exists at the computing device,
and processing payment transaction using the payment information if it is
determined that the payment information associated with the purchaser
information exists at the computing device.

Claims:

1. A method to process a payment transaction at a computing device, the
method comprising: associating a first identifier of a purchaser with a
second identifier of a payer, the first identifier is different from the
second identifier; receiving a payment request at the computing device
directly via a network from the purchaser authorized to make a payment
using a bank account or credit card issued to the payer by an issuer, the
payment request comprising the first identifier of the purchaser;
determining whether the second identifier of the payer associated with
the first identifier of the purchaser exists in a database at the
computing device, the second identifier further associated with payment
information comprising information enabling access to the bank account or
credit card issued to the payer by the issuer; after determining the
second identifier of the payer associated with the first identifier of
the purchaser exists in the database at the computing device, generating
a message comprising notification of the payment request and a request
for authorization for the payment using the bank account or credit card
issued to the payer; transmitting the message to a mobile device of the
payer using the second identifier of the payer; and processing, at the
computing device, the payment transaction using the payment information
after receiving authorization for the payment request from the mobile
device of the payer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the payment transaction
further comprises denying the payment request if it is determined that
the second identifier of a payer does not exist at the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the payment transaction
further comprises: determining whether the payment request satisfies at
least one payment condition related to an amount of money per payment
request or time period; and executing the payment transaction using the
payment information when the payment request satisfies the at least one
payment condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein processing the payment transaction
further comprises denying the payment request when the payment request
does not satisfy the at least one payment condition.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one payment condition
comprises at least one of a single payable amount, monthly payable
amount, and payment time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the message to a mobile
phone of the payer further comprises identifying information for the
purchaser and an amount of money requested in the payment request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is a SMS message or an
email message.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier is a mobile phone
number, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, an
unique email identifier, or an Integrated Circuit Card Identification
(ICCID).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second identifier is a mobile phone
number, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, an
unique email identifier, or an Integrated Circuit Card Identification
(ICCID).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization is a SMS message or
an email message with a pre-determined character string that indicates
approval of the payment request.

11. A system, comprising: a receiver configured to receive a payment
request directly via a network from a purchaser authorized to make a
payment using a bank account or credit card issued to a payer by an
issuer, the payment request comprising a first identifier of the
purchaser; a database configured to receive and store payment information
associated with the first identifier of the purchaser, the payment
information comprising a second identifier of the payer and information
for accessing the bank account or the credit card issued to the payer by
the issuer; and a processor configured to: generate, after determining
the second identifier associated with the first identifier exists at the
database, a message comprising notification of the payment request and a
request for authorization for the payment using the bank account or
credit card issued to the payer; transmit the message with the request
for authorization to a mobile phone associated with the payer using the
second identifier; and process a payment transaction in response to the
payment request after receiving authorization for the payment from the
mobile phone of the payer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured
to deny the payment request if it is determined that the second
identifier associated with the first identifier does not exist at the
database.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured
to: determine whether the payment request satisfies at least one payment
condition related to an amount of money per payment request or time
period; and execute the payment transaction using the payment information
when the payment request satisfies the payment condition.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to deny
the payment request when the payment request does not satisfy the at
least one payment condition.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one payment condition
comprises at least one of a single payable amount, monthly payable
amount, and payment time period.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the message is a SMS message or an
email message.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the message further comprises
identifying information of the purchaser and an amount of money requested
in the payment request.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first identifier is a mobile
phone number, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (MEI) number, an
unique email identifier, or an Integrated Circuit Card Identification
(ICCID).

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the second identifier is a mobile
phone number, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (MEI) number, an
unique email identifier, or an Integrated Circuit Card Identification
(ICCID).

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the authorization is a SMS message or
an email message with a pre-determined character string that indicates
approval of the payment request.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] The present application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/731,323, filed on Mar. 25, 2010.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Consumer transactions with merchants are generally made by cash,
checks or credit cards. More recently, with the proliferation of mobile
devices such as a cellular telephone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA),
etc that have wireless communications functionality, consumer
transactions using the mobile devices have been increased. However, such
consumer transactions generally require using a credit card, a certain
mobile payment service, etc. Therefore, there is an interest for a
payment service that can be provided regardless of using a credit card or
passing through a certain mobile payment service.

SUMMARY

[0003] According to an illustrative embodiment, a method for processing
payment service includes receiving a payment request at the computing
device from a purchaser, the payment request including purchaser
information, determining whether payment information associated with the
purchaser information exists at the computing device, and processing at
the computing device the payment transaction using the payment
information if it is determined that the payment information associated
with the purchaser information exists at the computing device.

[0004] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to
be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects,
embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments,
and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the
following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0005] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of an overall architecture
of a payment service network.

[0006] FIG. 2 shows an illustrative embodiment of a payment service
provider.

[0007] FIG. 3 shows another illustrative embodiment of a payment service
provider.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an illustrative embodiment of a method
for providing payment service.

[0009] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of another illustrative embodiment of a
method for providing payment service.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the
accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar
symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates
otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed
description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other
embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without
departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented
herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present
disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the
Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed
in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are
explicitly contemplated herein.

[0011] According to one embodiment, a purchaser can make a payment with
payer's information through a payment service provider in communications
with the purchaser and a payer through a network. Any party who gives an
authorization to a third party to make a payment with its payment methods
may be the payer, and any party who makes a payment with a third party's
payment methods may be the purchaser. For example, the purchaser may be a
minor who does not have a payment means such as a credit card, and the
payer may be the minor's parent who pays for the minor. For another
example, the purchaser may be an employee and the payer may be its
employer who allows the employee to make a purchase with the employer's
credit card or account information. The payment service provider may
communicate with the purchaser and the payer through a network, and
enable the purchaser to make a payment using the payer's payment
information, e.g., the payer's credit card information, etc. By way of
examples, the network may be, without limitation, a mobile phone network
or wireless/wireline internet.

[0012] In one embodiment where a minor attempts to make a payment by using
his or her parents' credit card, the minor may send to a payment service
provider a payment request including his/her mobile phone number through
a mobile phone network. When the payment request is received, the payment
service provider may search a database and finds payment information
which is matched with the minor's mobile phone number, and makes the
payment using the matched payment information. In another embodiment, the
payment service provider may notify the parent of the minor's payment
request using the parent's payment information and the payment service
provider may make the payment when an approval of the payment request is
received from the parent.

[0013] FIG. 1 shows an illustrative embodiment of an overall architecture
of a payment service network 100. Payment service network 100 includes a
purchaser (e.g., a purchaser terminal 102), a payment service provider
104, a payer (e.g., payer terminal 106) and a network 108. In an
illustrative embodiment, purchaser terminal 102, payment service provider
104 and payer terminal 106 are computing devices that provide
connectivity and accessibility among them. As used herein, the terms
"connected," "coupled," or any variant thereof, means any connection or
coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the
coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or
a combination thereof. Examples of purchaser terminal 102 and payer
terminal 106 include, without limitation, mobile or portable
communications devices, such as cell phones, smart phones, personal
digital assistants (PDAs), etc. Any computing device that provides the
network connectivity can be purchaser terminal 102 and payer terminal
106.

[0014] Network 108 is a communications link that facilitates the transfer
of electronic content between purchaser terminal 102, payment service
provider 104, and payer terminal 106. It will be appreciated that the
network may include or be composed of one or more other types of
networks, such as a local area network, a wide area network, a
point-to-point dial-up connection, a cell phone network, and the like.

[0015] In one embodiment, purchaser terminal 102 can send a payment
request to payment service provider 104. The payment request includes
purchaser information. For example, the purchaser information may be a
mobile phone number of purchaser terminal 102, or any other
identification numbers (e.g., serial number, IMEI (International Mobile
Equipment Identity) number, ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card ID), etc.)
which are assigned to identify purchaser terminal 102. In some
embodiments, the payment request may further include an amount of
payment. In other embodiments, purchaser terminal 102 may send a separate
message including the amount of payment when, for example, requested by
payment service provider 104. The term "message" used herein means a set
of computing signals that can be used to exchange information between
computing systems, such as between purchaser terminal 102 and payment
service provider 104. The specific form of the message and protocols for
exchanging messages can vary depending on the type of computing systems
constituting purchaser terminal 102, payment service provider 104, and
payer terminal 106.

[0016] Payment service provider 104 is a system that receives the payment
request including the purchaser information from purchaser terminal 102,
and determines whether payment information matched or associated with the
purchaser information exists in its database. By way of example, the
payment information may include credit card information or payment
account information of the payer. The credit card information may include
a credit card number, expiration date, or any other information which is
needed to process the payment transaction. The payment account
information may include a bank name, a bank account/routing number, etc.
When the payment information matched with the purchaser information
exists at the database, payment service provider 104 then processes a
payment transaction in response to the payment request using the payment
information. For example, payment service provider 104 may transmit the
payment information and the amount of payment to be paid to a payment
server, and receive a payment complete message from the payment server.
Here, the payment server refers a system which may be operated by a
credit card company or a bank to process the payment transaction.

[0017] In some embodiments, the payment information may further include
payer information. By way of examples, the payer information may include
a mobile phone number or other identification numbers (e.g., serial
number, IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number, ICCID
(Integrated Circuit Card ID), etc.) of payer terminal 106. When the
payment information includes the payer information, payment service
provider 104 may authorize the payment request using the payer
information prior to processing the payment transaction. For example,
payment service provider 104 may transmit an authorization request
corresponding to the payment request to payer terminal 106 according to
the payer information, and then, process the payment transaction in
response to an authorization acknowledgement issued from payer terminal
106. The authorization request is a message that notifies payer terminal
106 of purchaser terminal 102's attempt to use payer terminal 106's
payment information to make the payment and requests payer terminal 106's
approval of the payment request. The authorization request may include
the purchaser information and amount of payment so that payer terminal
106 can find out the identification of purchaser terminal 102 and the
amount of payment which purchaser terminal 102 has requested. Payer
terminal 106 may issue the authorization acknowledgement when payer
terminal 106 approves the payment request. The authorization
acknowledgement may include character strings (e.g., password, etc.)
which are pre-determined between payment service provider 104 and payer
terminal 106. The authorization request and the authorization
acknowledgement may be, for example, text messages (e.g., SMS messages,
etc.) between payment service provider 104 and payer terminal 106.
Furthermore, the payment information may further include one or more
payment conditions for purchaser terminal 102. By way of example, the
payment condition may include, but be not limited to, a single payable
amount (i.e., a maximum amount of money per one purchase request), a
monthly payable amount (i.e., a maximum cumulative amount of money to be
paid in one month), a maximum amount of money to be paid for one
purchaser terminal or payment time period, etc.

[0018] Payer terminal 106 is a computing device which authorizes the
payment request of purchaser terminal 102. For example, payer terminal
106 may be a parent's mobile phone in the case that purchaser terminal
102 is a minor's mobile phone. By way of example, when an authorization
request is received from payment service provider 104, payer terminal 106
may issue an authorization acknowledgement to payment service provider
104 in response to the authorization acknowledgement.

[0019] FIG. 2 shows an illustrative embodiment of the payment service
provider shown in FIG. 1. As shown, payment service provider 104 includes
a database 200, a receiver 202, and a processor 204, where each component
is coupled to at least one other component.

[0020] Database 200 is configured to receive from purchaser terminal 102
and payer terminal 106 and/or to store purchaser information (e.g., a
mobile phone number of purchaser terminal 102), and payment information
(e.g., credit card information or bank account information of payer
terminal 106) associated with the purchaser information. The term
"associated" used herein means that the purchaser information and the
payment information are related each other at database 200. For example,
the purchaser information and the payment information may be stored in
the same record or tuple of a table at database 200 or the purchaser
information and the payment information are stored in separate tables but
may be connected with the same reference key. Therefore, when receiver
202 receives a payment request (which includes purchaser information)
from purchaser terminal 102, processor 204 can search database 200 and
find payment information which is associated or related with the received
purchaser information.

[0021] Receiver 202 is configured to receive a payment request from
purchaser terminal 102. As discussed above, the payment request includes
purchaser information.

[0022] Processor 204 is configured to search database 200 in response to
the payment request of purchaser terminal 102, and to determine whether
the payment information associated with the received purchaser
information exists at database 200. Particularly, processor 204 searches
the payment information stored in database 200 to determine whether the
received purchaser information is associated with any of the stored
payment information. Processor 204 is further configured to process the
payment transaction when it determines that such payment information
exists in database 200. Alternatively, processor 204 is configured to
deny the payment request when it determines that the payment information
associated with the received purchaser information does not exist at
database 200.

[0023] When processor 204 determines that the payment information
associated with the received purchaser information exists at database
200, processor 204 then processes a payment transaction using the stored
payment information. In one embodiment, processor 204 may be coupled to a
payment server (not shown) which is operated by a credit card company or
a bank. In this case, processor 204 may transmit the payment information
and the amount of payment to be paid to the payment server to process the
payment transaction and receive a payment complete message from the
payment server. The amount of payment may be included in the received
payment request. In another embodiment, receiver 202 may receive from
purchaser terminal 102 a separate message that indicates the amount of
payment before processor 204 processes the payment transaction. In an
alternative embodiment, payment service provider 104 may include a
payment module (not shown) that can process the payment transaction.

[0024] When processor 204 determines that the payment information
associated with the received purchaser information does not exist at
database 200, processor 204 denies the payment request. When processor
204 denies the payment request, processor 204 further notifies purchaser
terminal 102 of the denial. For example, processor 204 may generate a
denial message and sends it to the purchaser terminal 102. The denial
message may be an SMS message, voice message, etc.

[0025] When the payment information includes payment condition, processor
204 may further determine whether the payment request satisfies the
payment condition prior to processing the payment transaction. For
example, when the payment information includes a single payable amount of
US dollar 1,000, processor 204 may determine whether the amount of the
payment contained in the payment request or in a separate message exceeds
the single payable amount. Processor 206 may process the payment
transaction when the payment request satisfies the payment condition.
When the payment request does not satisfy the payment condition, for
example, when the requested payment amount is greater than US dollar
1,000, the payment request may be denied, and, then, payment service
provider 104 may send a denial message to purchaser terminal 102.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows another illustrative embodiment of the payment service
provider shown in FIG. 1. As shown, payment service provider 104 includes
a database 300, a receiver 202, a processor 304, and an authorizer 306,
where each component is coupled to at least one other component. The same
elements as those shown in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference
numerals.

[0027] Database 300 is configured to store purchaser information and
payment information associated with the purchaser information received
from purchaser terminal 102. In one embodiment, the payment information
includes payer information, as well as the credit card information or
payment account information of payer terminal 106, which is associated
with the purchaser information. The payer information may be used for
authorization of the payment as described below.

[0028] Receiver 202 is configured to receive a payment request from
purchaser terminal 102. The payment request includes purchaser
information.

[0029] Processor 304 is configured to search database 300 in response to
the payment request of purchaser terminal 102, and to determine whether
payment information associated with the purchaser information exists at
database 300. Processor 304 is further configured to process a payment
transaction when the payment information associated with the purchaser
information exists at database 300 and when the payment is authorized by
payer terminal 106.

[0030] Authorizer 306 is configured to authorize the payment request using
the payer information included in the payment information. Authorizer 306
generates an authorization request based on the payment request and
transmits the authorization request to payer terminal 106 using the payer
information (e.g., a mobile phone number of payer terminal 106). By way
of example, the authorization request may be a text message (e.g., an SMS
message) which notifies payer terminal 106 that the payment request has
been received from purchaser terminal 102 and requests payer terminal
106's approval of the payment transaction corresponding to the payment
request. For example, authorizer 306 may send to payer terminal 106 the
text message that requests for a reply message. The reply message may
include character strings (e.g., password, etc.) which is pre-determined
between payer terminal 106 and payment service provider 104 to approve
the payment request. In response to the authorization request, payer
terminal 106 may then generate an authorization acknowledgement and
transmit the authorization acknowledgement to authorizer 306. In the
above example, the authorization acknowledgement may also be an SMS
message including the pre-determined character strings. Or payer terminal
106 may reply a denial message or merely not reply at all when payer
terminal 106 does not approve the payment request. If the authorization
acknowledgement is not received or the authorization acknowledgement does
not include the predefined character string or the denial message is
received, authorizer 306 determines that the payment request has been
denied by payer terminal 106.

[0031] Processor 304 processes a payment transaction using the payment
information in response to the payment request, but after authorization
of the payment request. Particularly, processor 304 processes the payment
transaction when authorizer 306 authorizes the payment request, that is,
authorizer 306 receives the authorization acknowledgement from payer
terminal 106. If the payment request is not authorized by payer terminal
106, processor 304 may deny the payment.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an illustrative embodiment of a method
for processing payment service 400. In alternative embodiments, fewer,
additional, and/or different operations may be performed. In an
illustrative embodiment, method for processing payment service 400 can be
performed by payment service provider 104 described with reference to
FIG. 2 or 3.

[0033] In block 402, receiver 202 of payment service provider 104 receives
a payment request from purchaser terminal 102. The payment request
includes purchaser information such as a mobile phone number of purchaser
terminal 102, or any other identification numbers. In block 404,
processor 204 of payment service provider 104 searches database 200 in
response to the payment request and determines whether payment
information associated with the purchaser information exists at database
200 and, in block 406, processor 204 retrieves the payment information
from database 200 if the payment information exists at database 200. If
the payment information does not exist at database 200, in block 408,
processor 204 denies the payment request. For example, processor 204 may
send purchaser terminal 102 a denial message.

[0034] In block 410, processor 204 determines whether a payment condition
for purchaser terminal 102 exists. By way of example, the payment
condition may include, but be not limited to, a single payable amount
(i.e., a maximum amount of money per one purchase request), a monthly
payable amount (i.e., a maximum cumulative amount of money to be paid in
one month), a maximum amount of money to be paid for one purchaser
terminal or payment time period, etc. In block 412, when the payment
condition for the purchaser terminal exists, processor 204 determines
whether the payment request satisfies the payment condition. In block
414, when payment condition does not exist in block 410 or the payment
request satisfies the payment condition in block 412, processor 204
processes the payment transaction using the payment information in
response to the payment request. In one embodiment, processor 204 may
transmit the payment information and the amount of payment to be paid to
a payment server (not shown) to process the payment transaction and
receive a payment complete message from the payment server. In an
alternative embodiment, payment service provider 104 may include a
payment module (not shown) that can process the payment transaction. Or,
when the payment request does not satisfy the payment condition in block
412, processor 204 denies the payment request in block 408. When
processor 204 denies the payment request, processor 204 may further
notify purchaser terminal 102 of the denial. For example, processor 204
may generate a denial message and send it to the purchaser terminal 102.
The denial message may be an SMS message, voice message, etc.

[0035] One skilled in the art will appreciate that, for this and other
processes and methods disclosed herein, the functions performed in the
processes and methods may be implemented in differing order. Furthermore,
the outlined steps and operations are only provided as examples, and some
of the steps and operations may be optional, combined into fewer steps
and operations, or expanded into additional steps and operations without
detracting from the essence of the disclosed embodiments.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of another illustrative embodiment of a
method for providing payment service 500. In block 502, receiver 202 of
payment service provider 104 receives a payment request from purchaser
terminal 102. The payment request includes purchaser information such as
a mobile phone number of purchaser terminal 102, or any other
identification numbers. In block 504, processor 304 of payment service
provider 104 searches database 300 in response to the payment request and
determines whether payment information associated with purchaser
information exists at database 300 and, in block 506, retrieves the
payment information from database 300 when the payment information
associated with the purchaser information exists. If the payment
information does not exist in database 300, in block 508, processor 304
denies the payment request. For example, processor 304 may send purchaser
terminal 102 a denial message.

[0037] In block 510, authorizer 306 of payment service provider 104
transmits an authorization request corresponding to the payment request
to payer terminal 106 using payer information which is included in the
payment information. By way of example, the authorization request may be
a text message (e.g., an SMS message) which notifies payer terminal 106
that the payment request has been received from purchaser terminal 102
and requests payer terminal 106's approval of the payment transaction
corresponding to the payment request. In block 512, authorizer 306
determines whether an authorization acknowledgement issued from payer
terminal 106 is received. In the above example, the authorization
acknowledgement may also be an SMS message including the pre-determined
character strings. In block 514, when the authorization acknowledgement
is received, processor 304 determines whether a payment condition for
purchaser terminal 102 exists. By way of example, the payment condition
may include, but be not limited to, a single payable amount (i.e., a
maximum amount of money per one purchase request), a monthly payable
amount (i.e., a maximum cumulative amount of money to be paid in one
month), a maximum amount of money to be paid for one purchaser terminal
or payment time period, etc.

[0038] In block 516, when the payment condition for purchaser terminal 102
exists at database 300, processor 304 determines whether the payment
request satisfies the payment condition. In block 518, when the payment
condition does not exist in block 514 or the payment request satisfies
the payment condition in block 516, processor 304 processes the payment
transaction using the payment information in response to the payment
request. In one embodiment, processor 304 may transmit the payment
information and the amount of payment to be paid to a payment server (not
shown) to process the payment transaction and receive a payment complete
message from the payment server. In an alternative embodiment, payment
service provider 104 may include a payment module (not shown) that can
process the payment transaction. Or, when the authorization
acknowledgement is not received in block 512 or the payment request does
not satisfy the payment condition in block 516, processor 304 denies the
payment request in block 508. When processor 304 denies the payment
request, processor 304 may further notify purchaser terminal 102 of the
denial. For example, processor 304 may generate a denial message and send
it to the purchaser terminal 102. The denial message may be an SMS
message, voice message, etc.

[0039] The present disclosure is not to be limited in terms of the
particular embodiments described in this application, which are intended
as illustrations of various aspects. Many modifications and variations
can be made without departing from its spirit and scope, as will be
apparent to those skilled in the art. Functionally equivalent methods and
apparatuses within the scope of the disclosure, in addition to those
enumerated herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the
foregoing descriptions. Such modifications and variations are intended to
fall within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is
to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the
full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be
understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods,
reagents, compounds compositions or biological systems, which can, of
course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used
herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and
is not intended to be limiting.

[0040] In an illustrative embodiment, any of the operations, processes,
etc. described herein can be implemented as computer-readable
instructions stored on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable
instructions can be executed by a processor of a mobile unit, a network
element, and/or any other computing device.

[0041] There is little distinction left between hardware and software
implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware or software is
generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between
hardware and software can become significant) a design choice
representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. There are various vehicles by
which processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein
can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the
preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes
and/or systems and/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an
implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the
implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; if
flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software
implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt for
some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware.

[0042] The foregoing detailed description has set forth various
embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of block
diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams,
flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or
operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each
function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or
examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide
range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination
thereof. In one embodiment, several portions of the subject matter
described herein may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated
Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal
processors (DSPs), or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in
the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed
herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in
integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or
more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more
computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more
processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more
microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof,
and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software
and/or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art
in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will
appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are
capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms,
and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described
herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium
used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing
medium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type
medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a CD, a DVD, a digital
tape, a computer memory, etc.; and a transmission type medium such as a
digital and/or an analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable,
a waveguide, a wired communications link, a wireless communication link,
etc.).

[0043] Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within
the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth
herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such
described devices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is,
at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can
be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount of
experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a
typical data processing system generally includes one or more of a system
unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and
non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital
signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems,
drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or
more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and/or control
systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for
sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/or
adjusting components and/or quantities). A typical data processing system
may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available
components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication
and/or network computing/communication systems.

[0044] The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different
components contained within, or connected with, different other
components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are
merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be
implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense,
any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is
effectively "associated" such that the desired functionality is achieved.
Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular
functionality can be seen as "associated with" each other such that the
desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or
intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can
also be viewed as being "operably connected", or "operably coupled", to
each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components
capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being "operably
couplable", to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific
examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically
mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly
interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically
interacting and/or logically interactable components.

[0045] With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular
terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural
to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate
to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural
permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.

[0046] It will be understood by those within the art that, in general,
terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of
the appended claims) are generally intended as "open" terms (e.g., the
term "including" should be interpreted as "including but not limited to,"
the term "having" should be interpreted as "having at least," the term
"includes" should be interpreted as "includes but is not limited to,"
etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a
specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an
intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of
such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to
understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the
introductory phrases "at least one" and "one or more" to introduce claim
recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to
imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite
articles "a" or "an" limits any particular claim containing such
introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such
recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases
"one or more" or "at least one" and indefinite articles such as "a" or
"an" (e.g., "a" and/or "an" should be interpreted to mean "at least one"
or "one or more"); the same holds true for the use of definite articles
used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific
number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those
skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be
interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare
recitation of "two recitations," without other modifiers, means at least
two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those
instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B, and C,
etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense
one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., " a
system having at least one of A, B, and C" would include but not be
limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together,
A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).
In those instances where a convention analogous to "at least one of A, B,
or C, etc." is used, in general such a construction is intended in the
sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g.,
"a system having at least one of A, B, or C" would include but not be
limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together,
A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.).
It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any
disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms,
whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to
contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of
the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase "A or B" will be
understood to include the possibilities of "A" or "B" or "A and B."

[0047] As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all
purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges
disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and
combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily
recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being
broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths,
etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be
readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third,
etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language
such as "up to," "at least," and the like include the number recited and
refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as
discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the
art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group
having 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a
group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells,
and so forth.

[0048] From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that various embodiments
of the present disclosure have been described herein for purposes of
illustration, and that various modifications may be made without
departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.
Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to
be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the
following claims.